Combined rail chair and joint.



PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907.

H. L. TOPPIN. COMBINED RAIL CHAIR AND JOINT.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB-19.1907.

j m T attoa'mu nnrrn sr HARVEY LAMPSON TOPPIN, OF NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE.

cornnn RAIL 01mm AND .r'orn'r. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1907.

Application filed March 19,1907. Serial No. 368,196.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY LAMrsoN TOPPIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New Castle, in

the county oi Newcastle and State of Delaware, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in a Combined Rail Chair and Joint, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawing.

Myinvention is an improved combination rail chair and joint and consistsin the novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of I inexpensiveconstruction. I

The above and other objects are accomplished by the improvedconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figurel'is a perspective view of the invention showing it in use for securingthe meeting ends of two track rails upon two cross ties; Fig. 2is avertical transverse section; and Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the'jointchair.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes the ordinary woodencross ties, and 2, 3 the meeting ends of two ordinary T-shaped trackrails which are secured together and upon the cross ties by my improvedjoint chair 4. 'lhelatter is in the form of a metal body cast in asingle piece, and extending centrally and longitudinally through it is aT-shaped channel 5 for the reception of the meeting ends of the tworails. The horizontal or cross portion 6 of the channel 5 is arrangedparallel with the flat bottom 7 of the body 4 and is adapted to receivethe base flanges 8 of the track rails; and the vertical portion 9 of thechannel 5 is adapted to receive the webs 10 of the track rails. Theformation of the channel 5 provides opposing integral fish platesl3-which snugly engage the opposite faces of the web and base flanges ofthe rail and effectively hold the two rails in longitudinal alinement sothat one cannot shiftlate'rally with respect to the other.

the bottom or base plate 146i the body or chair. The

upper edges of the fislpplates or fianges-13 engage the bottom of thehead 12 of the rails and upon the outei' concave facesof said plates orflanges are formed integral braces ll which latter have curved outerfaces, as shown. These braces greatly strengthen the fish plates orflanges and effectively prevent them from springing outwardly away fromthe track rails. The flat bottom 7 of the body or chair 4 is securedupon the two adjacent cross ties 1 by spikes or similar fastenings 15driven through vertical apertures 16 formed in lugs 17 which are formedintegral with the body 4 and project outwardly from the same upon itsopposite sides. 1 preferably employ four of the lugs 7 upon each side ofthe body or chair and arrange them in pairs as shown so that each pairengages the top of one of the ties.

From the foregoing description taken in connection i with theaccompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, use andadvantages of the invention will be readily understood without a moreextended ex- 7 planation.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and 6 5 desire to secureby Letters Patent is:-:

The herein described rail joint comprising two cross isles; the meetingends of the two T-shaped track rails, ,the' joint chair 4 to span thespace between said ties and rest upon the tops thereof, said chair beingcast in a single piece and having a body formed with a centrallydisposed longitudinally extending T-shaped channel to receive the websand base flanges of said rails, said channel forming in the bodyopposing integral fish plates or flanges 'which snugly lit the oppositefaces of the webs and base flanges of the rails and which have theirupper edges engaging the bottom of the heads of said rails, the outerfaces of said integrai'flsh plates being concave and formed at theirends and at their centers with integral transversely projecting braces11, said braces having curved outer faces and the ones at the center ofthe chair being disposed at the abutting ends of the rails, saidElf-shaped channel in the chair also forming an integral base plate toengage the bottom of the base of the rai1s,- and outwardly projectinglugs formed integral with the base plate of the chair at its outer edgesand adjacent to its end, said lugs being adapted to rest upon the topsof the ties'and being formed with vertical apertures and spikes driventhrough the apertures in said lugs and into said ties, substantially asshown and described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

HARVEY LAMPs oN TOPPIN;

Witnesses SAMUEL ld'rcrrnnns, MATTHEW Team.

